Ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Chinese forged mirrors out of metals like tin, silver, bronze, and copper. Some were made of a brittle alloy of copper and tin known as “speculum metal,” which has a highly reflective surface. Early mirror-makers polished rounded flattened sheets of speculum until they could see their reflections in the metal. These sheets were then attached to a wood, metal, or ivory handle, and adorned on the back and...Continue Reading